The SAP Internet Transaction Server (ITS) is the essential link
between the SAP R/3 system and the Internet. It enables Internet
(and Intranet) users to communicate directly between R/3 system to
run R/e transactions, remote enabled function modules and reports as
Internet applications components. The ITS is one of the cornerstones
of SAP's mySAP.com offerings and strategy and integrated into the
SAP 6.10 Web Application Server release. The ITS is the key technology
behind the following products: Workplace, Employee Self-Service (ESS),
Enterprise Buyer Professional (EBP), BW 2.0 Interface, Online Store
and Retail Store, and the APO Interface. There are many other SAP products
and applications that are based on ITS technology to interface from the
Web to SAP R/3.
SAP ITS can handle complementary Web technologies to access data from SAP R/3:
- SAP GUI for Html: SAP transaction screens are dynamically
converted to HTML pages
- Web transactions: SAP transactions that can be called from
an HTML page (template based mode)
- Web remote function call (RFC): SAP R/3 function module that
can be called from an HTML page
- Web reporting: Mechanism for linking to SAP reports and
regenerated lists from an HTML page. Web reporting is
implemented as a special-case RFC.
- ITS Flow Logic: Events, statuses, and modes used to model
the dialog logic of a Web application in "flow files" on the SAP
ITS. SAP R/3 data is accessed via BAPI or RFC. Access to
external data providers is also possible.
SAP's Internet applications are known as Internet Application
Components (IAC) or Easy Web Transactions (EWT). Both are complete
business solutions that allow Internet and Intranet users to access
business information in the SAP R/3 system by starting transactions,
function modules, and reports from a Web browser. All IACs or EWTs
are based on a common infrastructure consisting of two essential components.
SAP Internet Transaction Server (ITS) - The ITS is the interface between
the Internet and R/3 and is the runtime engine that links Web server
to the R/3 Application server.
ABAP workbench tool - Web Application Builder and/or SAP@Web Studio -
WAB is an R/3 ABAP workbench tool and SAP@Web Studio is a PC tool for
creating, modifying and managing all ITS objects on which IACs or EWTs
are based. These objects include service files, HTML Templates and
HTRC language resource files.
The ITS solution to developing Internet applications is based on the
premise that there is already a suitable business application solution,
which has a stock of transactions, function modules and reports, as well
as its own integrated development environment. All that is needed to
enable Internet users to access and run these applications is an interface to the Internet.
Apart from the general advantages derived from making SAP R/3 business
information available over the internet, the ITS solution has many benefits.
These include:
*Ease of development - Programmers can develop IACsEWTs using a
business application system (R/3), development environment (ABAP Workbench)
and a programming language (ABAP), with which they are already familiar.
There is also integrated data dictionary support from the ABAP Dictionary
and appropriate transaction handling.
*Ease of deployment - The ITS solution supports internationalization
of applications.
*Ease of use - ITS based IACs and EWTs have the same look and
feel as any other Web site.
The separation of programming tasks from the visual design aspects is desirable,
because both require different skills. In the ITS scenario,
the ABAP programmer develops the application in ABAP using the
ABAP Workbench in the SAP R/3 system . And the user interface specialist
handles the design and navigation aspects of the application with design
languages like HTML and SAP's HTML Business in either the SAP@Web studio
or ABAP Workbench tool, Web Application Builder.
The aim is to create applications that send documents back to the Web
browser client in plain HTML format, since this format can be handled
by all major browsers. This is important in an environment like the
Internet where there is often little control you can exert over client
software such as Web browsers. Fit can be controlled; you can also use
Dynamic HTML, Java applets, JavaScript, and VBScript in you HTML templates,
because the script language is transparent to the ITS.
How does the ITS work?
When an Internet user requests an ITS service by clicking on a URL hyperlink
or keying in a URL address in a Web browser to run a IACEWT, the request
is processed as follows:
1. The Web browser passes the request to the Web server.
2. The Web server calls the server-specific ITS extension WGate - WGate
is the link between the ITS and the Web server. WGate is a Web server
extension that encapsulates the various supported HTTP server interfaces
such as: CGI (Common Gateway Interface), NSAPI (Netscape Server
Application Programming Interface),
ISAPI (Internet Server Application Programming Interface) in
a transparent manner that passes the requested
data to the ITS AGate component.
3. WGate forwards the request to the ITS server process called AGate
(which may or may not reside on the same machine.)
4. AGate is the link between the ITS and the SAP R3 application server.
AGate is the core processing component of the ITS. It receives Web
browser request from WGate and communicates with the SAP R3 application
server via the DIAG or RFC protocol.
5. AGate then processes the requests, and sends all relevant details
(including logon information) to the SAP R3 system, which either starts
the first dialog step of a new transaction of submits further data for
the next dialog step of a transaction already started.
6. SAP R3 starts the transaction for the service requested and sends
the screen output to AGate.
7. When the dialog step has finished, AGate retrieves the result from
SAP R3, and is responsible for session management, including mapping of
SAP R3 screen or function modules to HTML, web session timeout handling,
SAP R3 connection management and generation of HTML documents that are
sent back to the Web browser client.
8. AGate forwards the formatted HTML page to WGate.
9. WGate forwards the formatted HTML page to the Web server.
10. The Web server sends the formatted HTML page to the Web browser,
where it can be viewed by the user.
The ITS is downward compatible, therefore the ITS release must be the
same or higher than the SAP R/3 kernel release. There are three
restrictions to this approach:
1. The SAP R3 release must be at least version 3.1I or higher.
2. You can only use those Internet Application Components that were
shipped with the SAP R3 release you are using.
3. ITS 6.10 should only be installed in front of an SAP E3 kernel
release 6.10 (e.g. CRM 3.0)
ITS 4.6D Server Platforms
Wgate
Microsoft NT 4.0 Server
Microsoft Web Server (ISAPI)
Netscape Web Server (NASPI)
Apache HTTP Server (Apache Module)
Any CGI Web Server (CGI)
Microsoft windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Web Server (ISAPI)
Linux/Intel
Apache HTTP Server (Apache Module)
Agate
Microsoft NT4.0 Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
SAP@Web Studio
Microsoft NT 4.0 Workstation
Microsoft Windows 2000 Workstation
ITS 6.10 Server Platforms
Wgate
Microsoft NT 4.0 Server
Microsoft Web Server (ISAPI)
Netscape Web Server (NASPI)
Apache HTTP Server (Apache Module)
Any CGI Web Server (CGI)
Microsoft windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Web Server (ISAPI)
Microsoft XP Server
Linux/Intel
Apache HTTP Server (Apache Module)
Agate
Microsoft NT4.0 Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft XP Server
SAP@Web Studio
Microsoft NT 4.0 Workstation
Microsoft Windows 2000 Workstation
Microsoft XP Server
Code
Documentation is available as follows:
1. SAP R3 Online Documentation
ITS documentation can be found under
<4.6A: Cross applications -> Business Framework Architecture ->
Web Basis (CA-BFA-WEB)
>=4.6A: Basis Components -> Frontend Services ->
Internet Transaction Server (BC-FES-ITS)
ITS contains information about R/3 Internet Application Components,
an IAC Implementation Guide and an ITS administration guide.
2. Web Sites
Public: SAPMARKETS
General information about the ITS, several documentation papers,
or software downloads and so on.
3. Web Studio Online documentation
The SAP@Web Studio online documentation contains help on the
SAP@Web Studio program, the Complete IAC Implementation Guide,
a Web transaction tutorial, HTML Business Language help and
the ITS Administration Guide.
To learn more about ITS, attend the following
SAP Educational Services classes:
ITS 050 Internet Transaction Server
ITS 100 Developing Easy Web Transactions
ITS 150 Corporate Identity Design
To find out more information about
SAP Internet Transaction Server Curriculum, please click here:
SAP ITS Curriculum
